Beyonce Offers Support for Gay Marriage

Beyoncé showed her support for gay marriage last night with a post on Instagram depicting a handwritten note that read, simply enough: "If you like it you should be able to put a ring on it," followed by the hashtag "We will unite 4 marriage equality!"

Beyoncé also posted a photo of the Human Rights Campaign's red equal sign logo with he message, "It's about time #equality #prop8 #marriageislove . . . show your support!"

The two messages came the same day the Supreme Court heard the first of two pending cases on gay marriage. Yesterday's case dealt with California's Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in the state; while today the court will hear arguments about the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

Last May, Beyoncé's husband Jay-Z also came out in support of gay marriage after being asked about President Obama's then-recent endorsement of same-sex marriages during an interview with CNN: "I've always thought it as something that was still holding the country back," he said. "What people do in their own homes is their business and you can choose to love whoever you love. That's their business. It's no different than discriminating against blacks. It's discrimination, plain and simple."